Ipswich Adieu & Orford Ness Intrigue

Ipswich Adieu, Orford Ness Intrigue, and a Lowestoft Landing (with a side of Yacht Club Snobbery!)

Our time in Ipswich was a flurry of activity, a land-based reset button before we embraced the open sea once more. The boat became our three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle as we reloaded everything, Tracey's boys, Adam and Scott, were hugged and caught up with, and the trusty car made its final journey back to Teresa and Martin's in Whittlesey.

Meeting up with Scott was a particular highlight, having just returned from a month-long adventure in Japan. It's still mind-boggling how technology shrinks the world – video calls from a bustling Tokyo street to us sailing along the South coast felt as casual as chatting in the next room. We enjoyed a fantastic evening with the boys over a much-craved Indian takeaway, but as always, time zipped by far too quickly, and goodbyes were exchanged.

The next day, Nick was on car-return duty. The Veteran's Railcard was certainly earning its keep! However, the initial train journey hit a snag with a cancellation and a lengthy delay. Thankfully, the ever-helpful Teresa came to the rescue, whisking Nick back to theirs for a spot of lunch before attempt number two. This time, the train gods smiled, and he made it back to Ipswich without further incident. Meanwhile, Tracey was a whirlwind of boat prep, cleaning, stowing, and even managing to conjure up dinner, all in anticipation of our ridiculously early 5 am alarm and 6 am departure on Saturday.

We slipped our lines with the rising tide, a gentle push back up the River Orwell before turning left at the harbour entrance and out into the open sea. It felt fantastic to be back aboard and even better to be on the move again! The morning was a chilly, overcast affair, but the sun was starting to poke hopeful pinholes through the clouds, casting a shimmering promise of light on the water. Yet again, the wind forecast proved to be a tad optimistic, but the allure of exploring new horizons spurred us onward. The boat that had followed us out of the harbour actually turned back, a fleeting moment of "are we making a huge mistake?" crossing our minds.

The scenery along this stretch was… well, let's call it "uniformly green and remarkably flat." We passed the entrance to the River Deben. Many had sung its praises, but warnings about our 2-meter draft lingered, and our northward trajectory won, so we gave it a miss. The entrance to the River Ore also slid by, but our attention was already captivated by a strange collection of buildings looming on the horizon. Perched precariously on what appeared to be a vast sandbank (actually a bed of shingle), this was Orford Ness.

These peculiar structures are the relics of a once top-secret experimental military site, a place where scientists tinkered with, tested, and concealed atomic weapons and their components. But its history stretches back further and includes some truly groundbreaking science. Under the guise of the Ionospheric Research station, set up by Robert Watson-Watt in 1935, the very first purpose-built radar masts were erected here! This seemingly innocuous station was the birthplace of RDF (Radio Direction Finding), the precursor to the RADAR (RAdio Detection and Ranging) we know today. The site's military history actually began way back in 1913 when the War Department (now the Ministry of Defence) acquired a large chunk of Orfordness for an airfield. By 1918, a staggering 600 people lived and worked here, testing new aircraft, developing parachutes, bombs, gun sights, aerial combat tactics, and even dabbling in camouflage and navigation. In the 1920s, it became a firing and bombing range for the nearby Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath. It even served as a POW camp during WWI. The site finally closed its doors in June 1973 but was later acquired by the National Trust, welcoming its first visitors in 1995. Despite bomb disposal teams working to clear the area, much of Orfordness remains off-limits outside designated paths. Nature has also reclaimed its territory, with an abundance of flora and fauna, including Suffolk's first grey seal breeding colony, some of which we were lucky to see, established in 2021, where an impressive 130 pups were born in 2024! It's incredible how much history lies hidden along our coastlines.

As we continued our northward trek, the imposing dome of Sizewell nuclear power station dominated the horizon. Sadly, photographic evidence is lacking, as the sea had decided to get rather frisky. A quick (and rather precarious) trip below deck for Tracey resulted in a swift return looking decidedly green, leaving Nick to single-handedly navigate the increasingly lumpy waters. Despite skirting the shallower areas, the wind against tide had whipped up a significant swell, and the boat's motion was doing absolutely nothing for Tracey's burgeoning seasickness. We passed the sandy shores of Southwold, and finally, in the hazy distance, Lowestoft appeared! But we still had another hour and a half to go!

As we approached the buoys marking the harbour entrance, the haze surrounding the land made it difficult to discern the channel clearly. Once again, we placed our faith in Navionics to guide us safely in. Protocol dictated a call to Lowestoft VTS on channel 14 when 200 meters from the entrance, requesting permission to enter and stating our intentions. Trying to hear the radio over the howling wind and the boat's waltz in the lumpy sea was a challenge, but permission was eventually granted, and we squinted ahead. It wasn't until the very last minute that the harbour entrance revealed itself, prompting a flurry of fender deployment. We'd opted for the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club, conveniently located just inside the harbour wall, saving us a trip upriver and through any pesky lifting bridges. A hammerhead berth awaited us, a welcome sight after the day's exertions, and of course, Pepper was in desperate need of a post-sea leg stretch!

First impressions of Lowestoft? A quintessential seaside town, complete with penny arcades, the irresistible aroma of fresh donuts and shops proudly displaying Lowestoft Rock, and fudge. There's a fair bit of development underway along the promenade, much of it currently fenced off. The Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club staff were pleasant enough, but the place had an air of… well, let's just say it felt like they mistook themselves for the Royal Yacht Squadron! All sorts of rules about dress code and, crucially, a distinct lack of dog-friendliness. We were relegated to the tented area outside with Pepper, but the biting cold made that an unappealing prospect, and she certainly wasn't welcome indoors. However, our friend Robbie, pointed us towards a restaurant literally across the road called Iconic, and it truly lived up to its name. While Pepper still couldn't join us, the price and quality of the food were incredible – two main meals, a bottle of wine, a dessert, a Bacardi (naturally!), and a Bailey's coffee for a mere £48! After our long and somewhat turbulent day, with full bellies, we were in bed by 8:30 pm, utterly exhausted. Tomorrow is officially a rest day, a chance to recharge before we set sail for Grimsby on Monday. Lowestoft, we've arrived, and we're ready for a (slightly warmer and more dog-friendly) exploration!もっと詳しく